Shaft closing for lifts



y 1950 J. H. HELLING SHAFT CLOSING FOR LIFTS Filed Oct. 25, 1945 -IIVVENTOR (To/A27: we s b Hg 222 7; B!

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Patented July 4, 1950 SHAFT CLOSING FOR LIFTS renames-H. Helling', Rotterdam, Netherlands Application October 25, 1945,. Serial No. 624,409 In the Netherlands November 23, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690,-Aug1is't 8,1194'6 Patent expires November 23,1962- 3 Claims.

- Large shaft openings for a lift are usually closed by means of double swing-doors or double sliding doors, the latter kind of which presenting the advantage that the doors can easily be opened andclosed and are protected against bending by uiding them in the upper and lower sill. In order to fix swing-doors in their closing position also in-both sills a slidable rod is usually employed andconsequently swing-doors present the drawback over sliding doors of needing a special looking mechanism, so that they cannot be opened and closed as easily as sliding doors. As moreover projecting parts are to be avoided especially on the shaft-side of the doors the slidable rod of the locking mechanism is to be encased into the body of the door and the operating handle is to be placed in a recess of the door, so that doors of this kind are bound to a certain minimum thickness.

Sliding doors also present the advantage over swing-doors that the locking device thereof is simpler and more reliable than with swing-doors as the locking bolt is adapted to directly act on the doors.

The invention has for its object to improve double swing-doors in such a manner that they may be opened and closed as easily as double sliding doors and be fixed to the sills of the shaft opening without the use of a locking mechanism. To this end the doors according to the invention are movable in their plane and are cooperating with an abutment provided at the shaft opening in such a manner that the doors when displaced in their plane are first disengaged from said abutment and thereafter can be opened. In a preferred embodiment the hinges of the door themselves are pivotably connected to the door frame. The cooperation of the doors with the said abutment serves to fix the doors without the use of a special locking mechanism.

Said abutment need not be provided at both sills. If the doors in this manner are only fixed to one of the sills they may be held to the other sill by means of a rail extending over the doors and adapted to engage in a groove of the door wings, said rail being provided with a recess cooperating with a projection of the door wing or vice-versa, so as to prevent the doors not only from rotation but also from displacement in their plane so that the rail at the same time serves as a lock bolt and to this end is actuated by means of a guide carried by the cage.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing, wherein Fig. l is a schematic front view of a double swing-door and 2' 1 Fig. 2- is a-horizontal section thereof taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1-.-.

At the bottom in-the centre of the shaft opening is provided a stud I, having recesses in which the door wings 2, 3 can engage with projections 4, 4, respectively. As appears from Fig. 1'- each door wing has at the lower adjoining corners a recess in which the stud I is enclosed. The doorhinges 5 and 5' are at 6' pivotally connected to the door frame so that the door wings as a whole can be slid laterally so as to disengage the projections 4, 4' from the stud I, whereafter the door can be swung open normally. In order to have the doors easily closed the stud I is provided with arch-shaped or bevelled guiding planes which slide the door laterally when swung to closed position, whereafter the projections 4, 4 slide into the recesses of the stud I.

At the upper sill a rail I is mounted for fixing the door wings, said rail being adapted to be lowered into grooves 8 and 8' of the door and having in its centre a thickened portion provided with a recess 9 adapted to engage studs I0, I0 of the door wings so that the rail at the same time prevents the door from lateral movement and thus locks it. The rail I is suspended from two bell-crank levers II, II to which is attached a locking rod I2 actuated by a spring I3. The rod I2 is operated by a guide I4 carried by the cage and adapted to be slid laterally. Said locking mechanism is so arranged that when rail 1 has reached its lowermost position the switch I5 included in the lift motor control circuit is closed.

A stroke of about 15 mm. is suflicient for the lateral movement of the door wings. Said lateral movement is controlled by a switch I6 included in the circuit of a motor actuating the guide I4 and being closed when the door is closed so that only in this position of the door the motor can be excited. The bell crank levers II and II are rotatably mounted on fixed pivots l1, l1 respectively and pivotally connected at I8, I8 to rails I, I and to rod I2 at I9, I9, respectively.

It is not necessary to have the doors displaced in horizontal direction as also a vertical displacement or an inclined displacement should be possible. At all events the use of a lock mechanism is avoided. For moving the door only a handle is to be provided at the inner and at the outer side of the door said handle being mounted into a recess at the inner side of the door.

If the provision of a projecting stud at the floor should be avoided a roller or like element actuated by a spring may be provided on the lower edge of the door, said roller being adapted,

to engage in a recess provided in the floor and having a guiding plane in the direction of the lateral movement of the door.

It is also possible to have the door in the closing operation automatically swung in its closed position by the provision of a spring element on the door or on the pivoted connecting member of the door hinge.

The invention may also be used in connection with single swing-doors.

What I claim is:

1. A shaft for a lift cage carrying a guide and having its access openings closed by a swinging door, hinges to be displaced bodily with the door, an abutment for cooperation with the door so as to hold the door in its closed position against rotation, a rail extending over the door and mounted for movement to and from engagement with the door, means actuated by the cage carried guide for moving said rail, and interfitting means on the door and said rail for locking the door against sliding movement. I

2. A shaft-for a lift having its access openings' closed by swing doors, hinges on which the doors are mounted, said hinges themselves being pivotally connected to the door frame about an axis extending vertically and parallel to the door and at the same side of the door as the hinges so as to have said hinges displaced bodily tion..

with the door and transversely of said pivotal axis, an abutment being provided at the shaft opening and cooperatin with the door to hold it in closed position and against rotation.

3. A shaft for a lift having its access openings closed by swing doors, hinges on which the doors are mounted, said hinges themselves being pivotally connected to the door frame about an axis extending vertically and parallel to the door and at the same side of the door as the hinges so as to have said hinges displaced bodily with the door and transversely of said pivotal axis, an abutment being provided at the shaft opening and having a fixing member to receive studs on the door when closed, against rota- JOI-IANNES- I-I. HELLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,844,978 Renaud Feb. 16, 1932 1,912,846 Keogan June 6, 1933 2,202,274 'Iroche May 28, 1940 2,229,596 Eilers Jan. 21, 1941 2,372,369 Ditchfield Mar. 27, 1945 

